END OF AN ERA

The end of an era came about yesterday.  The STARZ app aired the final episode of season 8 of Outlander.  Wow, what a ride!!!

Sometime in the late 1990’s/early 2000’s a friend told me about a book titled Outlander by Diane Gabaldon.  I don’t read much fiction, but this book sounded interesting so I picked it up.  And then, I couldn’t put it down. 

The book was first published in 1991 and it was followed up by 8 additional books in the series.  Most of them were excellent.  The only one I didn’t think was up to par was the third book, Voyager.   It just wasn’t as engaging as all the others.

If you got hooked as I did, it was a nightmare to wait for the next book in the series, they went like this….

 Dragonfly in Amber (1992)

Voyager (1993)

Drums of Autumn (1996)

The Fiery Cross (2001)

A Breath of Snow and Ashes (2005)

An Echo in the Bone (2009)

Written in My Own Heart's Blood (2014)^[17]

Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone (2021)^[18]

There is a 10^th book due out sometime this year, which wraps up the story.  Not sure how the TV series was able to close out the story when the 10^th book hasn’t been released yet….but Diane has been closely involved with the series so I’m sure that helped. 

If you don’t know the story line, Claire is a WWII nurse starting immediately after the end of the war.  By accident she time travels back to 18^th century Scotland and meets Jamie, a Highland warrior, and that’s where you just cannot put the book down.  It ends in North America during the Revolutionary War.  There is so much intrigue and complexity to the story, you have to read it to get it.

When the news came out that it was going to come out as a TV series the wait was agonizing.  Ronald D. Moore picked it up as the developer and I have to say, I have been impressed with every episode following the books as well as they have. 

The first episode of season 1 aired 8/9/2014 and again, waiting for each new season was just impossible.  My opinion is that they picked exactly the right actors to play Claire and Jamie….their chemistry was amazing.  

       

There has been some speculation that the series will continue.  But in my opinion, I hope not.  I think it ended just as it needed to end. 

I am waiting for that 10^th book, as soon as it hits the shelves, I will have a copy.  Sure hope I love it as much as I have all the others!!!!

AND NOW THE GOOD NEWS.....

 Wednesday, July 7, 2022 was a tough day.  Actually, the week had already been tough.  The Saturday before we had to put our beloved Sonny down.  In 2009 while out on a hike in Adams County I had passed by a beat-up, abandoned house when one of the hikers yelled, “Look at the puppies.”  There in a bush at the corner of the building were two faces looking out at us.  Two very young puppies were obviously living there. 

Someone in the group said they couldn’t believe someone would abandon them like that.  I said no, Mom was a stray and this is where she had them.  I was up near the front porch and saw prints of the puppies and then a print of a much larger dog. 

It took three attempts and on the third try I managed to capture the two.  Our vet guessed them to be about 7 weeks old, so perfect timing to remove them from their mom; a boy and girl we named Sonny and Cher.

      

Thirteen years later Sonny was in pretty bad shape from arthritis and he could no longer walk out into the yard to do his business.  So that was the end of our week.  Pete and I mourned Sonny and we knew it would be tough on Cher.

Things got a litter crazier on Wednesday of the following week.  Storms were brewing and according to the weather channel they were going to get bad….and they did, very quickly.  So quickly that our fire station less than 2.5 miles from the house couldn’t even alert the community to a tornado that was touching down. 

I didn’t know about the tornado, but I knew the signs so I drug Cher to the basement.  I called Pete and learned that he was driving through our village of Goshen just as the tornado passed through.  He got home okay, but a whole lot of damage was done.  It was a small tornado, F2, but those suckers still do some serious damage.  It was a direct hit on our fire station and several houses were severely damaged. 

As it turned out, Saturday of that week was just as bad as the prior Saturday.  Cher passed on her own.  Not really sure what happened, but it may have been grief, as she definitely was missing Sonny.

So, in 8 days we lost both our dogs and went through a very serious storm.

NOW THE GOOD NEWS…. this weekend, our rebuilt fire station was finally opened.  It took 4 years to get the funding, tear down the old and build the new. 

Friday there was a ribbon cutting ceremony and then on Saturday they held an Open House.  I wandered through, came home and asked Pete if he minded if I moved into the Fire Station.  It is very, very nice (especially the kitchen!).

 While the 43-year-old station had not been so badly damaged that it could have been repaired.  However, 43 years is a long-time in fire station history and the building was out of code.  So, they tore the whole thing down and started over…..once they finally got the funding.  That is a whole other story.

 The funny thing is while it is only 2.5 miles from our house, it is not our fire station!  We live in a different county so our fire station is 3 miles from our house.

Guess I can’t complain, seems we are pretty well protected!!

AN UPDATE

On April 10 I posted a blog about finding a profile on FaceBook of a friend from 69 years ago.  I mentioned that we would have lunch soon and I would share an update after the lunch. 

Well, we met for lunch this week, in Lebanon just a few blocks down from our old homes.  I arrived at the restaurant first and sat in my car in the parking lot cause I got there about 20 minutes early.  I was watching as folks went in, knowing I would recognize Marilyn from her profile photo.  Ann was also joining us but I would not recognize her. 

A few minutes before our meet time I went in, wandered around, didn’t see Marilyn so went back to the front and there stood a woman, about the right age, who was also waiting by the front door.  I asked if she was Ann and she smiled and said yes.  We hugged, started to visit and then were seated, waiting for Marilyn. 

We visited for about 10 minutes and then Ann wondered where Marilyn was, cause she “Is always on time.”  We both looked at our phones, and she was waiting for us on the porch of the restaurant.  Ann went and gathered her up and the visit began.  Before it got far, I stopped Marilyn and said, “I have to ask you a question!”  She paused and looked like she was scared to hear what I was going to ask.  I smiled back and said “I have a memory, that your birthday is May 10.  Do I remember that right?”  She started laughing, “How in the world do you remember that??!!”  It’s been 69 years and for some reason, as I was thinking about this lunch gathering, her birthday came to my mind.  Don’t ask, I have no idea. 

We had a lovely lunch.  All three of us talked sharing memories.  How long they lived in our neighborhood before they moved on, etc.  Their current lives.  It was a wonderful follow-up. 

Marilyn still lives in Lebanon, which is what Facebook noted, and is a widow, has adult children and grandchildren.  Ann lives in Clifton, is also a widow and takes OLLI classes like I do at Univ. of Cincinnati. 

I wish I had thought to have a photo taken of the three of us, but I was too wrapped up in the moment to think of it.  We didn’t make any follow-up plans, but I hope we do.  It would definitely be fun to stay in touch.

What's The World Coming To???

I was driving in to town today when a box truck drove by and I have to say, I almost had a wreck caused by laughter.  There’s a lead up to this story, so hang in there with me.

I am 77 years old and I now understand, really well, why my parents used to say things like, “Remember when??” and then go off on some ramble about how life used to be. 

Some times it wasn’t a ramble but rather a rant…. like the time Dad got incredibly upset because I put large daisy stickers on the back windows of my 1968 VW Bug.  I think maybe he got scared that I had suddenly turned to ‘sex, drugs and rock & roll”.  I don’t know, just a guess. 

Anyway, now I do kind of the same thing.  There are things that happen in every day life that trigger my response of “Remember when…?” and I start to ramble (in my mind) about how things were when I was a kid. 

Like, just in general, life was a lot simpler….there were no computers, no cell phones, only 4 TV stations available that you didn’t have to pay for.  You could go to church, or a bar, or hang out with friends and happen to meet someone who really suited you and the next thing you knew, you were dating…no computers involved.  We weren’t as aware of environmental impacts.  Wars were still a thing, but then they have been since the day humans evolved.  Cars were much simpler to drive, not nearly as many buttons and buzzers distracting you as you drove.  You get my point?

So, I do realize I am not a genius, and there are many, many topics that I have absolutely no knowledge of.  BUT, can someone please explain to me the following phrase?  It was on the truck that was passing me on my drive into town.

What does “Automated Cooking Oil Management” mean??  Really??  Is there something more going on at McDonald’s or Wendy’s or Arby’s or any restaurant that serves French fries, something more than turning on the heat, bringing the oil to a boil and then throwing in the potatoes??  Does cooking oil now need to be managed by computers?

Sorry if this doesn’t crack you up like it did me….but, geeze, as my parents used to say, “What’s the world coming to?”

 

Green Is It!!!!

You know those goofy surveys that get posted on Facebook?  The ones where a friend wants you to copy, paste and complete a survey …. just so they can get to know you better?  Have you ever skipped school?  Ever ridden in an ambulance?  All that stuff?

I usually participate, I like to see what friends say, and usually enjoy the questions.  Sometimes they ask “What’s your favorite season?”  I always answer  “all of them”.  Which is true for me.  As each season rolls around, I love them all.  I like the cold, I like the flowers, I like the birds, the trees changing colors…all of it.

If one of those surveys came up now, I would say Spring is my favorite season!!  Even though I live in the Great Miami Valley, and our weather can be schizophrenic, ie. 80 degrees one day and 34 the next.  We can have gorgeous spring time weather one day and the next have 2” of snow on the ground.  I still love it.  Right now, I am obsessing over the color ‘green’.

We live in a small neighborhood, with lots of trees all around.  In the winter, after all the leaves fall, we can see through the trees to the major highway down the road.  Everything is gray or brown, and here in our area, we have bunches and bunches of gray, overcast cloudy days.  Again, I don’t mind at all….BUT when spring arrives, we go from that brown and gray to brilliant green, everywhere!!!

It really is a huge difference and I love it.  One doesn’t think about the huge variety of the color green until it is in your face, day in and day out.  Each type of tree has a different color of green leaves.  The neighbors all have different types of grass in their yards that are different shades of green.  All the plants that are popping up everywhere are different shades of green.  Put that against the glorious blue skies that we have on the rain free days, and you have an artist pallet of fabulous colors.   

I know, I’m a bit goofy and nerdy, but so help me….right now, GREEN is it!!!

 

PS - From last weeks post, I do have a lunch date set with Marilyn for 4/27.  This should be fun!!!! 

I'LL LET YOU KNOW!!!!!

A really cool thing is going on right now…..

Yesterday I was hanging out on Face Book when a profile popped up that caught my attention.  The name on the profile was familiar from a time before 1957.

In August 1957 my family moved from Lebanon, Ohio to Pinellas Park, Florida.  I was 9 at the time.  We moved because Dad had some health issues that the doc said would be helped if he lived somewhere warm.  So, he sold his appliance store, sold our house and off we went to Florida.  

 

Me, maybe 3 years old 

Prior to that move we had lived on North Broadway in Lebanon where we had a very nice little neighborhood.  There were several kids who all were with a year or two of my age.  So, there was Larry and his two sisters, Bev and Cindy.  Ann who was the daughter of the local bank’s president and she had a sister, but I don’t remember her name.  And there was Marilyn who lived about four houses down the block.

We all played together as much as time would allow.  There was a creek that ran below our houses and where we tended to hang out.  I remember Mom telling me over and over to stay away from the creek, but back in those days, if the parents weren’t right there, it was a hard time to enforce rules.  So, we played in the creek a lot.  

 

There were times when we got in trouble.  I remember being kind of the ring leader and if there was an issue with the parents, I was usually the first point of contact.  Like for instance the time someone spread tar on the floor of Ann’s basement.  I don’t know why, but I was punished for that, even though I knew nothing about it….really!!

Mrs. Lincoln lived next door to my house and she had peonies in her yard.  One year someone in the group picked all the flowers off her bushes just as they bloomed.  Turned out that she was a widow and always took those flowers to her husband’s grave on Memorial Day.  Yep, that was a big deal and I think Larry and I took the fall for that one.

 .  

 Kindergarten Sue

We played hide and seek a lot.  Dressed up in different costumes and walked up and down the sidewalk getting honked at.  There was a Dairy Queen just a few blocks down from our houses and we went there a lot.

Anyway, to get to the point of this post, the profile that popped up was for a ‘Marilyn’ with the same last name as my former friend.  The profile said she was from Lebanon and still lived in Lebanon.  The profile picture looked nothing like the Marilyn I remember, but that was 69 years ago so time does change things!!

I wrote a Face Book message to her, asking if she was the same person and she came back almost immediately saying she was.  I think this is soooo cool. 

She is currently in North Carolina, but will be home soon and we hope to get together sometime for lunch.  This is either going to be very awkward or a whole lot of fun.  I'll let you know!!  

GOT MY FINGERS CROSSED!!!!

So, the season is upon us.  Don’t get me wrong….I’m not talking about Spring!!  I’m talking about Opening Day Week for the MLB and for our grandsons’ high school baseball team.

I made it to their first game, which was at home and sadly, they lost1-3.  Neither of my grandsons got to play in the game.  The week prior they were in Florida for their spring break, therefore were not in town for their practice sessions, which automatically means you don’t get to play.  On top of that, Teddy has a break in his hand which will keep him out for another couple of weeks (he managed to drop a couch on it!!!) 

Turning now to the Cincinnati Reds….it is so much fun being a fan of this team!!  For most of the 20^th century the Reds held a special tradition of playing the first game of the MLB season.  This is because they are the first professional baseball team in the country. 

Their history dates back to 1869 (just post Civil War, WOW!!)  At that time, they were the first professional team named the Cincinnati Red Stockings. 

The franchise was officially founded in 1881 as a charter member of the American Association.  In 1882 they played their first season winning the league championship.  In 1890 the club joined the National League and shortened its name to the Cincinnati Reds. 

So, in honor of its history, The Reds have played the first game of the season at home nearly every year since 1900.  There were 3 exceptions:  1966 Philadelphia, 1990 Houston and 2022 Atlanta. 

The strict tradition of the Reds being the sole opening game faded in recent years due to international openers and scheduling changes, something that infuriated Marge Schott (owner at the time),

Whether we still hold that honor is almost a moot point, since no other team does Opening Day like Cincinnati!!!  It is a full day affair with TV coverage beginning early in the day, a huge parade at Noon, game time at 4:00 pm and hundreds, of thousands of fans flooding downtown.  There have been numerous attempts to make Opening Day an “official Cincinnati holiday”, meaning no school and folks off from work.  So far that hasn’t happened.   

Some of my earliest memories are all about baseball.  One of my favorites is how, after we moved to Florida in 1957, Dad used to listen to WLW radio for Reds games.  It was tough, given than WLW was almost 1000 miles away, back in Cincinnati.  Reception wasn’t very good at all, but Dad hung in there until the Tampa Rays came along.  But he still followed the Reds and always saw a game when he came to town for a visit.  

  

So, this past Thursday was Opening Day.  As usual there was nothing else on TV.  Unfortunately they played the Boston White Sox and lost that game, but won the series taking it 2 games won, 1 game lost. I have all the games on my phone calendar and we have subscribed to Reds-TV on MLB so we can watch all the games.  Got my fingers crossed it will be a winning season.